Call for Lagrange applied research scholarships

Call

The CRT Foundation, through the Lagrange Project, invites applications for data science research projects around the issues relating to Data Science and Social Impact. The projects are coordinated by the ISI Foundation (Institute for Scientific Interchange), a leading research institute on data science and complex systems, of which the CRT Foundation is one of the main supporting bodies. The fellowship will take place in Turin, Italy, will begin between April 1 and May 15, 2023 and will last 1 year.

Candidates will have the opportunity to work in a dynamic research environment with advisors having internationally recognized scientific profiles and international agencies (UNICEF, WFP, etc.). They will gain research experience and hone data science skills, which will be valuable for both an academic career and in the industry. The topics may include, but are not limited to: sustainable development, population health, humanitarian response, socio-economic inequalities, migration, urban mobility, unemployment and poverty, future of cities, and information trustworthiness. The methods used include machine learning, statistical modeling, natural language processing (NLP), and network science, all applied to datasets ranging from thousands to billions of data points. Major areas of research include, but are not limited to:

1. Network science for urban mobility and migration using cellphone and social media data

2. NLP and data modeling for humanitarian response using text and open data

3. Network science and NLP for population health using open and social media

4. Data modeling for poverty & socio-economic inequalities using open and social media data

5. NLP and network science for content quality assessment on the Web (new)

This fellowship is aimed at holders of a Master’s degree (at the time of fellowship) in technical-scientific (STEM) disciplines including computer science, physics, mathematics, statistics, or those in social sciences who have experience in data science. Candidates will not be eligible if they are enrolled in a Ph.D. program on the start date of the research activity. See below for detailed requirements.

ISI Foundation is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by national laws.

Requirements

Education: Master’s degree or equivalent in STEM disciplines including computer science, physics, mathematics, statistics or social sciences with proven programming skills (completed by the start of the fellowship). 

Preferred Skills: 

• Basic programming skills (Python is preferred, R, etc) - highly encouraged

• Data Science (Data manipulation, Statistics) - highly encouraged

• Machine Learning & Natural Language Processing (Classification, Evaluation)

• Complex Systems & Network Science 

• Required: English language skills at technical level (technical writing)

On the start date for the research activity the fellowship holder must be resident in a municipality of the Piedmont or Aosta Valley regions in Italy (ISI Foundation is located in Turin, Piedmont). If applying from abroad, you will need to transfer your residency by the starting date of the fellowship.

How to apply

Use the below form to submit your materials by February 10, 2023.

Please include:

• Curriculum Vitae 

• Title and description of the Master’s Thesis 

• Cover letter, including on the reasons for applying, relevant skills and experience, and a preference ranking of areas of research (areas listed in the call) 

• Optional additional attachments (e.g., thesis, post-degree specialization courses, job experience, scholarships, etc.)

• Optional but encouraged: share a link to sample code written by the applicant (git profile, etc.)

We will send an acknowledgement of the reception of the application. Shortlisted applicants will be called to a brief interview. 

The applicants will be assigned to specific projects in the beginning of the fellowship according to their initial preferences and skill match, determined during the evaluation and interview process.

If you have any questions, contact us at lagrangecrt-segreteria@isi.it